Horizon League Announces Men's Soccer All-League Teams
Nov. 6, 2008
Men's Soccer All-League Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS - University of Illinois at Chicago junior Baggio Husidic has been named the Horizon League Men's Soccer Player of the Year, according to a poll of the men's coaches in the Horizon League. The UIC soccer program claimed several other awards, as sophomore Robert Younger was named Defensive Player of the Year, junior Jovan Bubonja was tabbed Goalkeeper of the Year and head coach John Trask was voted Horizon League Coach of the Year.
Husidic, who was also honored as the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year, finished second in the conference with 22 points (8g, 6a) and 1.22 points per game en route to leading UIC to its third regular season title since 2000. The Velika Kladusa, Bosnia, native also tied for second in the league with eight goals and tied for third with six assists.
Younger and Bubonja anchored a Flames defense which allowed just 14 goals all season, including just seven since Sept. 19. Younger, a Hull, England, native, started 17 matches this season and helped UIC to a 0.74 goals-against average. Bubonja, a Belgrade, Serbia, native, led the Horizon League and is among the national leaders with a 0.70 goals-against average. He also leads the conference in save percentage (.800) and is tied for the lead with eight shutouts.
Bubonja, who was named to the Hermann Trophy watch list in the preseason and was tabbed a preseason All-American by several soccer publications, was also named Goalkeeper of the Year in as a freshman in 2006.
Trask earned Coach of the Year honors after leading UIC to the regular season title and its highest national ranking in school history. The Flames spent much of the season in the top 10 and climbed to No. 4 in the Soccer America poll on Oct. 6. Trask, who spent five seasons as an assistant coach with Major League Soccer's Miami Fusion, D.C. United and FC Dallas, is 48-16-17 in four seasons at UIC.
Joining Husidic, Younger and Bubonja as first team All-Horizon League honorees are eight field players, including Butler University senior Frank Patano, the league's leading scorer with 26 points (12g, 2a). Patano was joined on the first team by Butler senior Eduardo Garcia, the league's leader with 13 assists.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Loyola University Chicago each placed two players on the first team. Green Bay landed senior forward Tosaint Ricketts and sophomore midfielder JC Banks, while Loyola senior Keum Sung Kim and Eric Gehrig were also first team All-Horizon League. Junior forwards Braden Fleak of Wright State University and Slavisa Ubiparipovic of Cleveland State University were also honored as first-team selections.
Butler, which is ranked No. 21 in the nation, had three players named second team All-Horizon League. Juniors Boris Gatzky and Nick Hegeman were honored as well as sophomore midfielder Kyle Pateros. UIC (Matt Spiess and Alen Husidic) and Green Bay (David Prochazka and Tony Walls) each had two second-team honorees.
Green Bay's Tony Walls was named Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and headlined the 11-man all-newcomer team. Four schools - Cleveland State, Loyola, Valparaiso University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - each had two players on the newcomer awards list.
The U.S. Army Horizon League Men's Soccer Championship kicks off Thursday evening with three matches. No. 6 Wright State hosts No. 7 Milwaukee at 7 p.m. ET. No. 4 Green Bay hosts No. 9 Detroit and No. 5 Loyola welcomes No. 8 Valparaiso, with both matches set for 8 p.m. ET.
First Team All-Horizon League
F -- Braden Fleak, Wright State
F -- Eduardo Garcia, Butler
F -- Frank Patano, Butler
F -- Tosaint Ricketts, Green Bay
F -- Slavisa Ubiparipovic, Cleveland State
M -- JC Banks, Green Bay
M -- Eric Gehrig, Loyola
M -- Baggio Husidic, UIC
M -- Keum Sung Kim, Loyola
D -- Robert Younger, UIC
GK -- Jovan Bubonja, UIC
Second Team All-Horizon League
F -- Boris Gatzky, Butler
F -- Oscar Lomeli, Valparaiso
F -- Matt Spiess, UIC
M -- Eric Frazier, Milwaukee
M -- Kyle Pateros, Butler
M -- David Prochazka, Green Bay
M -- Renato Susnja, Detroit
D -- Mitch Boyer, Cleveland State
D -- Alen Husidic, UIC
D -- Tony Walls, Green Bay
GK -- Nick Hegeman, Butler
Horizon League All-Newcomer Team
F -- Scott Waggoner, Loyola
M -- Eric Frazier, Milwaukee
M -- Rodolfo Lucas, Valparaiso
M -- Justin Mancine, Cleveland State
M -- Julian Serrato, UIC
D -- Stephen Byer, Cleveland State
D -- Matt Hedges, Butler
D -- Tony Maxey, Milwaukee
D -- Tony Walls, Green Bay
D -- Erik Warren, Loyola
GK -- Kyle Zobeck, Valparaiso
Player of the Year: Baggio Husidic, UIC
Offensive Player of the Year: Baggio Husidic, UIC
Defensive Player of the Year: Robert Younger, UIC
Goalkeeper of the Year: Jovan Bubonja, UIC
Newcomer of the Year: Tony Walls, Green Bay
Coach of the Year: John Trask, UIC
